Los Angeles Dodgers fans are notorious for showing up late to games (stuck in traffic) and leaving early (gotta beat the traffic). But Elon Musk is looking to make the trek a lot less of a hassle.
Musk’s Boring Co., which digs tunnels, announced Wednesday night a proposal to build a 3.6-mile tunnel under Los Angeles, running from one of three existing subway stations to Dodger Stadium, shuttling fans to games and concerts in less than four minutes in zero-emissions, high-speed pods.
“The purpose of Dugout Loop is to help reduce traffic in Los Angeles by providing a clean and efficient public transportation option to Dodger Stadium,” the company said in a blog post. “This project will be 100% privately funded and will require zero taxpayer dollars.”
The system would use pods that seat eight to 16 people, and passengers would buy tickets in advance with fares around $1. Initially, the system will be limited to about 1,400 passengers per event, the company said, only about 2.5% of the stadium’s capacity.
While the Boring Co. calls it a loop, it would actually be a single, one-way-at-a-time tunnel, with pods only going to the stadium before a game, and only going from the stadium afterwards.
The pods would travel on ”autonomous electric skates,” the company said, at speeds of 125-150 mph.
Construction is expected to last about 14 months — although the company said “likely much less” — and be earthquake-proof, a major concern in seismically active Southern California. The company said the project will not disrupt traffic or the subway, and the tunnel-boring equipment would be deep enough underground that it wouldn’t disturb residents.
The ambitious plan already has one fan in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who tweeted Wednesday night: “Always exciting to see innovative ideas like the proposed Dugout Loop to @Dodgers Stadium that could help ease congestion on our roads and make our most iconic destinations more accessible to everyone.”
The Boring Co. said it was working with city, county and state authorities on the project, which has not yet won final approval, and will draft an environmental impact report.
The plan is the second major step for the Boring Co. this summer to transform from a company known more for its merchandise sales (including personal flamethrowers) to a serious transportation pioneer. In June, Chicago tapped the company to build a downtown-to-O’Hare Airport express train.
Musk, who is also chief executive of Tesla Inc. TSLA, -2.57% and Space X, has opined about networks of tunnels solving the problem of traffic congestion, and also envisions “personalized mass transit” servicing Los Angeles International Airport and a high-speed commuter line from New York to Washington, D.C.
Read: How Elon Musk and shorter commutes could transform people’s lives
The announcement comes as Musk has come under heavy fire for tweeting last week that he hopes to take Tesla private. On Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission subpoenaed Tesla to see if he was telling the truth when he claimed he already had funding secured. If not, Musk could face charges.
